Combined reflector and venetian blind housing



Oct. 31, 1950 R. L. GIBSON ErAL COMBINED REFLECIDR AND VENEIIAN BLIND HOUSING Filed Oct. 5, 1947 HH 1" IMU" muy; Z8 0.

INVENTOR. Rona/0 L. @Maso/7 d' O//f'e C. G/'sor/ Patented Oct. 31, 19.50

UNITED STATI-Ls- 'PATENT OFFICE i COMBI-NED REFLEcTo-R AND VENETIAN i BLIND HOUSING RonalaL. Gibson and olliec. Gibson,

North' Hollywood', Calif;

Application October 3, 1947, Serial No. 777,690

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a combincdrefl'ector for a nuo-rescent light and housing forasupport for venetian, blinds andi the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device of the kind to be moreY particularly. descrbedl hereinafter, which is adapted to provide a'xturefor an indirect lighting fluorescent light',

mum number of parts and may be readily attached to or applied to windows having venetian blinds currentlyy in use.

With the above and other objects. in view, our invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation partly broken away and partly in section, lof a window having a device of this kind attached to the frame thereof,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates generally a window frame to which is attached a venetian blind II. lThe venetian blind Il is supported at the upper end of the window frame IIJ by a conventional supporting means I2 which is; attached to the window frame.

The supporting means I2 for the venetian blind includes an elongated hollow body or housing I4 having a rotatable shaft |'5 supported therein.

The cords or supporting members I6 for the venetian blind I I are fixed peripherally about the shaft I for changing the blades in their angular relation relative to the window.

The housing or body I4 is xedly secured to the Window frame I0 or wall I8 by screws or bolts I9 or other suitable fastening means.

Heretofore, the housings I2 of this type are substantially countersunk within the window frame and formed in a decorative manner to add to the attractiveness of the installation. However, there are certain types of window frames wherein the housing I2 may not be lcountersunk and must necessarily be attachedV to the outerv lsurface'of the wall Ill` about'thewindow. Such attachment forms a slight disguration; inV the;I

decoration of theroom and it is an object of; this invention to provide a more suitable decorativef housing for this support.

Further, in the remodeling of-homes, the `use-of indirect lighting is very populary and with afdevice,l of` the kind to be described hereinafter, indirectl fluorescent lights may be supported Without the necessary modification of the walls or otherixedv supports for thel lights.

l The neon or other fluorescent light bulbs 20 may, beV contained. within the: upperA end of the Vhousing 2| above the supports I2. for the vene-,I

tian blinds. The housing 2| constructedaccord-Y ing to an embodiment of this invention is formed of a housingr having a front wall 22 and' a pair of end walls 2lir and 25. The-endwalls 24-and 25 tween the outer ends of theend walls 24 andf25 and disposed in a downwardly and inwardly in? cline relation to the Wall I8 and convergingly with the lower ends of the end'walls 24 and 25.

The housing 2| may be made of any suitable metal or other material having a reecting surface on the inner surface of the walls. A fixed support as 26 is xed to the wall I8 above the housing I2 for the venetian blinds.

The xed support 26 is formed of an elongated L-shaped member including a vertical arm 21 which isadapted to be secured to the wall I8 by attaching members 28 and a horizontal arm 29. The horizontal arm 29 extends horizontally outwardly from the wall I8 and from the lower end ofthe vertical arm 21.

The light fittings 30 for the uorescent light `bulb 20 are fxedly secured to the upper surface of the horizontal arm 29. A downwardly extending flange 3| is fixed to or formed on the outer end of the horizontal arm 29 and is inclined downwardly and inwardly in the same pitch as the wall 22 of the housing 2 I.

The housing 2| is adapted to be removably attached to the nxed support 26. by bolts 32 engaged, through the flange 3| and the front wall 22 intermediate thev vertical length thereof. In

this manner a portion of the housing 2| is disposed above the horizontal arm 29 and the iluorescent light bulb and xture therefor are adapted to be enclosed within the upwardly divergent end andside walls thereof.

The lower edges of the side end walls are adapted to be disposed in a substantial horizontal align-n mentwith the lower edge of the housing I2 which is contained enclosedly within the downwardly convergent walls below the horizontal arm 29.

As the fixed support 26 is disposed immediately above the support I 2, a considerable space is provided between the housing 2I and ceiling of the building. Such a space provides for the indirect lighting of the room by the fluorescent light bulb 20.

In buildings where rooms using venetian blinds I I and curtains in addition thereto, we have provided curtain rod hooks 34 which may be fixed to the housing 2|. The curtain rods are adapted to be removably engaged with the hooks 34 in the conventional manner of attaching curtains and will be removed from the wall together with the housing 2 I.

We do not mean to conne ourselves to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is: y

A combined light reflector and housing fory a blind support comprising an elongated substantially horizontal reilector casing including a forwardly inclined front side and ends, the top, bottom and rear side of the reflector casing being open, an elongated substantially horizontal L-shaped support member arranged within the reector casing and extending throughout substantially its entire length, the L-shaped support member including a horizontal plate and an upstanding vertical lplate and an angularly disposed flange secured to the forward longitudinal edge of the horizontal plate and arranged adjacent to the inclined front side of the casing, said horizontal plate being spaced from the open top and bottom of the reilector casing and forming therewith top and bottom chambers, the upstanding vertical plate being integrally secured to the horizontal plate adjacent to the open rear side 4 of the reflector casing, bolt means extending through the angularly disposed flange and front side of the casing for bodily detachably securing the reector casing to said L-shaped support member, and spaced lighting fixtures mounted upon the horizontal plate near the ends of the casing for supporting an elongated fluorescent light bulb, the xtures and light bulb being disposed in said top chamber and accessible through the open top of the casing, the open bottom of the casing being engageable over a blind support for substantially concealing said support within the bottom chamber, said vertical plate having fastener openings to permit securing thereof to a vertical wall above the blind support.

RONALD L. GIBSON. OLLIE C. GIBSON.

REFERENCES CITED f The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,786,787 Steinrneyer Deo. 30, 1930 1,793,818 Morton Feb. 24, 1931 1,912,035 Grant May 30, 1933v 2,004,262 Widman June 11, 1935 2,251,024 Overbagh July 29, 1941 2,268,152 Jones Dec. 30, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 520,303 Germany 1931 OTHER REFERENCES Y .Publication of Illuminating Engineering Society, 51 Madison Ave., New York 10, New York,

A. I. A. File 31f12, Series X11 8-46, (one page). Catalogue Pittco Storer Fronts, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., Printing No. 6802 25M 8-36, page 

